Continuous fabric feed



M. CASTRICUM.

commuous FABRIC FEE D.

APPLICATION FILED JULYI51IQZO.

m as

INVENTOR ATTb Y unites STATES.

PATENT OFF-16E.

MARTIN GASTRIGUMQOF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE FISH RUBBER COMPANY, OF CHICOPEE FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

CONTINUOUS FABRIC TEED.

Application filed July 15, 1920. Serial No. 396,457.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, MARTIN C'As'rRIoUM, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in ContinuousFabric Feed, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a method and an apparatus for supplying fabric continuously to calenders. It has for its object a method and an apparatus which will p mit a calender being run continuously although supplied from successive sources each containing a less length of fabric than the desired continuous run of the calender. It has for a further ob ect a method and an apparatus which will permit acalender being run con-- vtinuously while using fabric supplied in the usual manner on rolls. It has various other a and further objects which will appear from the ensuing description and the appended claims.

. form, with rolls 10, 11, and 12 suitably driven. A bank of rubber 13 is placed be-' tween rolls 10 and 11 and is thereby worked into a'thin sheet 14 which is applied to the fabric 15 between rolls'll and 12. The fabric is supplied from successive sources of supply indicated in the drawing as rolls of fabric 16 and 17 suitably supported in any desired way. In order to run the calender continuously it is necessary to unite the inner end of roll 16 with the outer end of roll 17 without interrupting the supply of fabric to the calender. Obviously'this cannot be done until the roll 16 is exhausted. It is therefore necessary to.provide some means by which the inner end of the exhausted roll ay be held stationary for uniting with 1 the outersend of the succeeding full roll without interfering with the continuous operation of the calender.

I have indicated the mechanism for prej ducing the reserve of fabric'necessary for between the fabric supply and this mechamade,

this purpose at 18. By preference I place and the end of the fabric unwound nism a device 19 serving to heat and dry the fabric. This device may be in any of the usual forms for suchapparatus, and, as shown,-consists generally in a plurality'of heated plates 20 over which the fabric is directed by guide rolls 21.

' The reserve-producing mechanism comprises in its preferred form a moving surface and a device for laying the fabric in folds on that surface. The moving surface consists for convenience of a belt 22 of the width of the fabric, and driven at the desired speed through pulleys 23. Arranged to cooperate with the belt is a guide 24, to which the fabric is ledby rolls 25, and which is arranged to be oscillated above the belt by a shaft 26, a crank carried by the shaft, and a connecting rod 28pivoted to the body portion of the guide. Rotation of shaft26 will cause the end of the guide to travel inan are indicated by the double arrow 29, laying the fabric upon the belt below in a plurality of overlapping folds 30.

After leaving the belt the fabric passes through tension rolls 31, and over guide rolls 32 which direct the fabric into the calender Patented May 9,1922.

the calenderis shown in the drawing. This.

comprises a supporting belt 33, preferably driven at the same linear speed as the calender, above which is a guide roll 34:. The fabric is shown in full lines as passing around this rollover a guide roll 35, and as being wound on a roll 36 with a liner 37 fed from a roll 38. In dotted lines the fabric is; shown as being wound on a spool 36', with which are associated elements similar to those described, and identified with primed numerals.

In operation, during the drawing of fabric from roll 16, guide '24 cooperates with the belt 22 to lay the fabric in a plurality of folds 30 which form a reserve. Then roll 16 is exhausted the feed of fabric through the heater and the guide 24 is stopped rom roll 16 united by stitching or splicing with the leading end of roll 17. I have shown assuitable for this purpose a press 39 by means of which a vulcanized splicemay be althoughv suitable sewing mechanism.

may be used if desired. During thesplicing operation the calender continues in operation, drawing its supply from the folds of fabric on belt 22, which may be moving or stationary during this period. The sue-- cessive operations may be repeated as often as desired, maintaining the calender in operation continuously.

I claim: I

In combination with a calender, a source of fabric supply, means for joining the; end

the fabric web through the calender, and

means for laying the fabric web upon the belt in a plurality of substantially even overlying folds.

. MARTIN CASTRICUM. 

